On Friday, Marit and I took several of our string students to Basel for an epic field trip. I say epic, but it was actually quite laid-back.
First, we went to the shop of a Luthier, or violin-maker. Our students rent from Christian Ganter in Riehen, Switzerland, and he was quite happy to give a small presentation on the history of violin making. He also briefly described the process of making a violin, and worked on a couple instruments that our students had brought in. The students drank in the information. Marit and I even learned some new things, too! For instance, we learned that the horsehair for the bows comes from the tails of male Mongolian horses.
After an intense learning session, we had a relaxing lunch break in Basel, complete with McDonald’s and Starbucks. Then we went to the Basel Musikmuseum, which hosts a fascinating collection of historical instruments.
It was a great day, and our students now know much more about the beautiful instruments they play!
